Justification:Panulirus interruptus has been assessed as Least Concern. While this species is commercially harvested, the fishery is well regulated and the population is known to be stable. Furthermore, it was recently awarded Marine Stewardship Council certification.

This species is commercially harvested as a food source throughout its range. The main fishing grounds are between Cedros Island and Punta Abreojos (most of which is contained within the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve); 80% of the Mexican landings come from this region (Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006). The catch of this species over the last 20 years in the USA has remained relatively constant at approximately 300 tonnes, while in Mexico it has increased from 1,100 tonnes to 1,700 tonnes. Due to the stringent measures currently in place, the fishery is said to be in a stable state with fluctuations in landings likely as a result of changes in environmental conditions and recruitment levels (Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006).

Harvest regulations for this species are in place as a result of advice from the Mexican government (Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006). This fishery is regulated by closed fishing seasons, minimum size limits, and limited fishing effort and gear use. Fishery controls seek to maintain half the estimated biomass of the stock (Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006). Voluntary fishing quotas are in place for this species and are adhered to by 95% of fishers (Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006).

In 2004, this fishery was awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification (Marine Stewardship Council 2010, Phillips and Melville-Smith 2006).